Join SATSA's Bridging the Digital Divide Project with GIZ and atingi,
a campaign to promote tourism as a career and address skills gaps in South Africa.
What Is The Bridging The Digital Divide (BDD) Project
SATSA in partnership with The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Atingi is rolling out the Bridging The Digital Divide Project (BDD), a capacity-building initiative, crafted in synergy with the private sector, designed to bridge the skills deficit in the tourism sector by offering accessible avenues for upskilling.
While holding immense potential, tourism in South Africa has grappled with challenges in drawing skilled and young talent, a situation further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BDD program offers blended learning that will lead to a digitally inclusive South Africa where every individual, especially women and residents of rural communities, can access digital education, thus paving the way for enhanced employment prospects and personal growth.
Who Is Eligible To Participate?
The target audience/participants of the program are:
- Owners & Employees of SME tourism businesses
- Woman in tourism
- Youth and others interested in opportunities in tourism
- Educators within the tourism sector
- Regional partners and community leaders
Whether you are employed in the tourism industry and want to enhance your skills, were previously in the industry and want to return, are a new entrant, have just started thinking about entering the industry, or are an educator who covers Tourism, we want you!
What Will The Training Cover?
The SATSA-guided training will cover:
- Career in Tourism
- Career in Hospitality
- Soft skills for tourism professionals
- How to manage health and safety
- Why tourism should be sustainable
- How to make tourism sustainable
- Community involvement in tourism
As an added value, these guided sessions include:
- Interactive Activities: Hands-on exercises and group activities where participants can practice using the atingi platform in real-time.
- Guest Speakers: They will share their experiences within the tourism and hospitality industry as well as provide valuable insights and tips for effective learning.
- Peer Learning: Participants can share their experiences, exchange ideas, and offer support to one another in using the platform.
- Live Demonstrations: Schedule live demonstrations of advanced features or functionalities of the atingi platform by experienced users or trainers, allowing participants to see practical examples of how to maximize the platform's capabilities.
Supplementary to the SATSA offering, the atingi platform provides access to 45 tourism-relevant self-paced courses, clustered into thematic learning pathways as follows (Just click on the course title to follow the link):
Program Dates
The BDD program rolls out between February - September 2024.
See below the confirmed sessions and the individual registration links to be delivered. We will constantly update these sections with new dates as we confirm more sessions.
In-Person Employee/New Entrant Sessions - Details and Registration
These sessions empower tourism employees, owners and new entrants with knowledge of specific tourism modules and how to navigate the Atingi Platform.
KwaZulu-Natal KZN Session 1 KZN Session 2 26 - 27 February 2024 28 - 29 February 2024 Venue: To be confirmed Venue: To be confirmed Register Here Register Here Eastern Cape EC Session 1 EC Session 2 Session Dates: 4 - 5 March 2024 Session Dates: 7 - 8 March 2024 Venue: To be confirmed Venue: To be confirmed Register Here Register Here Limpopo LP Session 1 LP Session 2 15 - 16 April 2024 Session Dates: 18 - 19 April 2024 Venue: To be confirmed Venue: To be confirmed Register Here Register Here Northern Cape NC Session 1 NC Session 2 Session Dates: 22 - 23 July 2024 Session Dates: 25 - 26 July 2024 Venue: To be confirmed Venue: To be confirmed Register Here Register Here Virtual Tourism Educator Sessions - Details and Registration
These sessions empower local educators to integrate Atingi modules into their training. Educators will receive comprehensive training to deliver sessions independently.
February Session 1 12 February 2024 Register Here March Session 1 11 March 2024 Register Here April Session 1 4 April 2024 Register Here June Session 1 3 June 2024 Register Here July Session 1 8 July 2024 Register Here August Session 1 August Session 2 7 August 2024 14 August 2024 Register Here Register Here September Session 1 September Session 2 4 September 2024 12 September 2024 Register Here Register Here Virtual Community Ambassador Sessions - Details and Registration
Blended learning sessions for community ambassadors to empower them with the skills to navigate the Atingi online learning platform and share with their community members.
Community Ambassador Session 1 21 - 23 February 2024 Register Here Community Ambassador Session 2 13 - 15 March 2024 Register Here Community Ambassador Session 3 22 - 24 April 2024 Register Here Community Ambassador Session 4 5 - 7 Jun 2024 Register Here Community Ambassador Session 5 10 - 12 July 2024 Register Here FAQS
How much does it cost to attend these sessions?
SATSA can bring you this fantastic free opportunity through our newly signed partnership with Atingi which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in international cooperation with the Smart Africa Alliance and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
How else can we become part of this campaign?
Any public or private sector organisation are also invited to join hands with us in rolling out this opportunity in your communities. Please reach out to bdd@tourisminnovationlab.africa should this be of interest.
What if I have more questions?
Reach out to the project team via email at bdd@tourisminnovationlab.africa
